KATHMANDU, May 22: Indian karatekas are on course for a clean sweep of medals in the Seventh International NSKA Karate Championship with a majority of players from the neighboring country securing berths in the semifinals of the tournament on Wednesday.
In the kumute section, India´s Harsha Bhardwaj and Aayush made it to the last four of boys´ 20 kg weight category winning their respective matches held at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu. [break]
Likewise, Divyansh Sharma and Karun Agrawal also secured semifinal berths in the boys´ 25 kg category on the second day of the tournament.
In the men´s 67 kg weight category, Abdul Rahim and R Rajendra advanced into the semifinals while Surya Prakash and Ajay Sardar secured two of the last-four spots in the open category.
Indian players also dominated the kata show as the pairs of Aman Gopinath and Mukesh Kumar (U-14 years); Shahi Charan and V Shahi Kiran (U-16 years); and Swastik Raut and R Rajendra (open category) advanced into the semifinals of the tournament organized by Nepal Shotokan Karate Association.
In the women´s section too, Indian players dominated the proceedings as R Prabina and Jamvi Singh (25 kg) and Pranita (35 kg) won their respective kumute matches to secure semifinal berths.
Likewise, the pairs of Sushmita Das and Smriti Singh (U-40 kg) and Chanthani and Sushmita Das (open category) made it to the semifinals of women´s kata event on Wednesday.